The Washington critic., 1887-06-11
OUR GREAT ANNIVERSARIES.

rated throughout the country within the next
two months to secure the support of the
people in favor of celebration TO be held In
Washington In honor Of the Centennial ami
versary Of the adoption Of the Constitution
of the United States. There has been some
confusion in reference to this celebration, on
account Of the action Of the Philadelphia
committee, who prefer 10 hold the anniyor-
sary In December next or two years before
the one hundrodih anniversary of the ratid-
cation Of the last Of the thirteen original
States, Rhode Island, which took place May
90, 1is9.-l Washington correspondence Boston
Traveller
The proposed celebration has al
ready been Ggiiated with sufficient
vigor to secure resolutions in its favor
by the Senate of the United States, AMI
Congress is practically committed not
only to the Centennial project, but to
the celebration of the Discovery of
America, both to be held in the city Of
Washington,
The celebration to be held in Phill-
delphia is rather Of local than ma.
tional character. 1t Is intended to
commemorate the final adoption Of the
stitution, or It's first seven articles,
by the Philadelphia convention, which
completed its work on the 18th of Sep
tember, 1881,
The Centennial of the Constitution,
10 be held in Washington, is intended
to celebrate the one hundredth ami.
versary, not of the adoption of the
Constitution in convention, but of the
establishment of a republican form of
government in the United States, based
on that Constitution, and dating from
the first meeting of Congress under it,
on the 4th of March, 1850. The Senate
resolution accords with the idea of the
Washington Board of Promotion, that
this celebration should be held on or
about the 30th of April, 1880, for the
reason that on that day was inaugurated
the first President of the United States,
and the machinery of the new Republic
set fairly in motion.
The fact that the last of the thirteen
original States did not ratify the Con.
stitution until May 30, 1850, has no
particular bearing In the case.
The Philadelphia celebration of 1887
is wholly distinct, as will hereby be
seen, from the Centennial of 1899.
The latter is not only TO be National,
but an International affair, Mexico,
Central America and all the South
American Republics, of which the
United States is the parent and model
government, being invited aud ex.
pected TO participate, But the Centen-
nial Celebration is to be merely the
beginning of a grander and more
magnificent end-the entering wedge,
MS it were, Of the celebration of 1892
and the permanent exposition to follow.
On this point the TTacel'5r's CORE.
pondcnt says:
The plans ior this celebration are not en-.
tir ly perfected, but, In brief, they contem.
plate an exposition OF the resources of North
Central and South America, under the di-
rection of n governmental board to be ap.
pointed b2 the President. the President of the
Senate, and the Speaker OF the House OF Rep
rcsentatiyes. Congress Will not be requested
TO make any such extensive apr roprlation as
was the case In the Philadelphia and New Or
leans expositions. As for the buildings 1t Is
expected that each one OF the several nations
represented will furnish suitable accommo-
dations for their exhibits. and that the diff
terent States OF the Union will do the same.
1t is intended to open the exposition In May
and each country and State OF the Union will
be requested to donate its exhibit to the
United States, and Congress will be asked to
mako an appropriation for an extension OF
the building Of the National Museum for tholr
accommodation, II Is estimated that the ex-
hlbits will require ten times as much space
as the Iresent National Museum building,
which, by the way, is only half large enough
TO accommodate the collection already in the
possession of the Government, Especial efforts
will be made to secure the Endorsements of
boards of trade, chambers Of commerce and
other mercantile bodies throughout the United
States, so that when tho Fiftieth Congress
convenes 1t will see at once that the business
men Of the country are interested in the
proposed "Three Americas Exposition in
1s9s.n